WhatsApp has been introducing a host of new features on its app this past year. WhatsApp’s latest feature now allows users to share their location in real-time with their contacts. Live Location on WhatsApp has been rolled out to both iOS and Android users.
The Live Location feature has been rumored for quite a few months now. It was even spotted on the beta versions of WhatsApp hinting on its imminent launch. To use this feature, simply tap on the attach button located next to the text bar on your chats. Under “Location” there will be a new option to ‘Share Live Location’. Selecting this will allow your friends and family to track you real-time on a map. You can choose to set the duration for how long your location can be tracked on the map.
Live Location is enabled for both single and group chats. In a group chat, more than one person can send their location at the same time. All the Live Locations sent on one group will be visible on a single map instead of independent ones. As seen in the screenshots, you can set time duration of 15 minutes, 1 hour and 8 hours for letting others view your Live Location.
Once your Live Location is sent you can simply tap on “Stop Sharing”, which will be available just below your map card. The same will be available in a group chat where you can stop sharing by tapping on the Live Location map. Below the map you will see your profile, and you can tap on it to stop sharing your real-time location.
WhatsApp already allows you to share static location with your contacts. With Live Location, users can benefit from being able to let their friends and family know where they are in terms of safety. Although there are risks involved, WhatsApp gives complete user control over this feature. WhatsApp also says that Live Location is protected with end-to-end encryption, as is the case with content and texts sent over the messaging app.
